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antibacterial, antifungal, insecticidal, cytotoxicity and phytotoxicity studies on indigofera gerardiana.the antibacterial, antifungal, acute cytotoxicity, phytotoxicity and insecticidal profile of the crude extract and various fractions of indigofera gerardiana have been studied. six bacterial and fungal strains were used, of which samonella typhi and microsporum canis were the most susceptible strains with mics 0.37 mg/ml and 0.09 mg/ml, respectively. the crude extract and the fractions showed low insecticidal activity against sitophilus oryzae, rhyzopertha dominica and callosbruchus analis but n ...200918825532
evolution of the sugar receptors in insects.perception of sugars is an invaluable ability for insects which often derive quickly accessible energy from these molecules. a distinctive subfamily of eight proteins within the gustatory receptor (gr) family has been identified as sugar receptors (srs) in drosophila melanogaster (gr5a, gr61a, and gr64a-f). we examined the evolution of these srs within the 12 available drosophila genome sequences, as well as three mosquito, two moth, and beetle, bee, and wasp genome sequences.200919226470
functional characterization of pas and hes family bhlh transcription factors during the metamorphosis of the red flour beetle, tribolium castaneum.the basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors are present in animals, plants and fungi and play important roles in the control of cellular proliferation, tissue differentiation, development and detoxification. although insect genomes contain more than 50 helix-loop-helix transcription factors, the functions of only a few are known. rnai has become a widely used tool to knock-down the expression to analyze the function of genes. as rnai works well in tribolium castaneum, we utilized this insec ...200919683038
molecular and functional analyses of amino acid decarboxylases involved in cuticle tanning in tribolium castaneum.aspartate 1-decarboxylase (adc) and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine decarboxylase (ddc) provide beta-alanine and dopamine used in insect cuticle tanning. beta-alanine is conjugated with dopamine to yield n-beta-alanyldopamine (nbad), a substrate for the phenol oxidase laccase that catalyzes the synthesis of cuticle protein cross-linking agents and pigment precursors. we identified adc and ddc genes in the red flour beetle, tribolium castaneum (tc), and investigated their functions. tcadc mrna was mos ...200919366687
juvenile hormone regulation of male accessory gland activity in the red flour beetle, tribolium castaneum.male accessory gland proteins (acps) act as key modulators of reproductive success in insects by influencing the female reproductive physiology and behavior. we used custom microarrays and identified 112 genes that were highly expressed in male accessory glands (mag) in the red flour beetle, tribolium castaneum. out of these 112 identified genes, 59 of them contained sequences coding for signal peptide and cleavage site and the remaining 53 contained transmembrane domains. the expression of 14 o ...200919324087
evolving enhancer-promoter interactions within the tinman complex of the flour beetle, tribolium castaneum.modifications of cis-regulatory dnas, particularly enhancers, underlie changes in gene expression during animal evolution. here, we present evidence for a distinct mechanism of regulatory evolution, whereby a novel pattern of gene expression arises from altered gene targeting of a conserved enhancer. the tinman gene complex (tin-c) controls the patterning of dorsal mesodermal tissues, including the dorsal vessel or heart in drosophila. despite broad conservation of tin-c gene expression patterns ...200919700619
structural characterization of nanoparticles loaded with garlic essential oil and their insecticidal activity against tribolium castaneum (herbst) (coleoptera: tenebrionidae).the aim of this work was to characterize polyethylene glycol (peg) coated nanoparticles loaded with garlic essential oil and to evaluate their insecticidal activity against adult tribolium castaneum . preparation of nanoparticles was carried out using the melt-dispersion method, a very simple, convenient, and low-cost technique. the oil-loading efficiency could reach 80% at the optimal ratio of essential oil to peg (10%). the morphology results and nanoparticle size showed that the nanoparticles ...200919835357
functions of ion transport peptide and ion transport peptide-like in the red flour beetle tribolium castaneum.ion transport peptide (itp) and itp-like (itpl) are highly conserved neuropeptides in insects and crustaceans. we investigated the alternatively spliced variants of itp/itpl in tribolium castaneum to understand their functions. we identified three alternatively spliced transcripts named itp, itpl-1, and itpl-2. expression patterns of the splice variants investigated by exon-specific in situ hybridization were somewhat different from those previously reported in other insect species. most importa ...200919715761
pyrosequencing of the midgut transcriptome of the poplar leaf beetle chrysomela tremulae reveals new gene families in coleoptera.the insect midgut is the primary target site for bt-derived insecticides and bt alternatives. however, despite extensive recent study, the precise role and nature of different bt receptors remains a subject of considerable debate. this problem is fuelled by a lack of understanding of the genes expressed in the insect midgut and their physiological roles. the poplar leaf beetle, chrysomela tremulae, is an important model for understanding the mode of action of, and resistance to, coleopteran-spec ...200919364528
insertional mutagenesis screening identifies the zinc finger homeodomain 2 (zfh2) gene as a novel factor required for embryonic leg development in tribolium castaneum.the genetic control of leg development is well characterized in the fly drosophila melanogaster. these control mechanisms, however, must differ to some degree between different insect species to account for the morphological diversity of thoracic legs in the insects. the legs of the flour beetle tribolium castaneum differ from the drosophila legs in their developmental mode as well as in their specific morphology especially at the larval stage. in order to identify genes involved in the morphoge ...200919760181
the ligand-binding domains of the three rxr-usp nuclear receptor types support distinct tissue and ligand specific hormonal responses in transgenic drosophila.in insects, 20-hydroxyecdysone acts by binding on a heterodimer constituted by the ecdysone receptor (ecr) and ultraspiracle (usp), the homolog to the vertebrate retinoid x receptor (rxr). two types of usp have been characterized based on their structure and function, mecopterida usp (diptera/lepidoptera usp), in particular the fruitfly drosophila melanogaster usp (dmusp) and non mecopterida usp, exemplified by the beetle tribolium castaneum usp (tcusp) both showing structural differences from t ...200919268446
comparative gene expression in the heads of drosophila melanogaster and tribolium castaneum and the segmental affinity of the drosophila hypopharyngeal lobes.drosophila melanogaster has long played an important role in debates surrounding insect and arthropod head segmentation. it is surprising, therefore, that one important feature of drosophila head segmentation has remained controversial: namely the position of the boundary between the intercalary and mandibular segments. the drosophila embryonic head has a pair of structures lying behind the stomodeum known as the hypopharyngeal lobes. traditionally they have been seen as part of the intercalary ...200919196336
genetic patterning in the adult capitate antenna of the beetle tribolium castaneum.antenna structure varies widely among insects, in contrast to the well-conserved structure of legs. the adult capitate antenna of the red flour beetle, tribolium castaneum, is composed of eleven articles, organized into four distinct morphological regions (scape, pedicel, funicle and club). here, we report the use of rna interference to examine the functions of 21 genes during antenna metamorphosis in t. castaneum. genes with conserved functions relative to the developmental model species drosop ...200919059230
the tribolium spineless ortholog specifies both larval and adult antennal identity.the morphology of insect antennae varies widely among species, but our understanding of antennal development comes almost solely from studies of one species-the fruit fly, drosophila melanogaster. moreover, this knowledge applies mostly to adult structures, since drosophila lacks external larval appendages. in contrast to drosophila, the red flour beetle, tribolium castaneum, has both larval and adult antennae, which are very different from one another in morphology. thus, tribolium provides an ...200919030877
krüppel homolog 1, an early juvenile hormone-response gene downstream of methoprene-tolerant, mediates its anti-metamorphic action in the red flour beetle tribolium castaneum.juvenile hormone (jh) prevents ecdysone-induced metamorphosis in insects. however, our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of jh action is still fragmented. krüppel homolog 1 (kr-h1) is a jh-inducible transcription factor in drosophila melanogaster (minakuchi, c., zhou, x., riddiford, l.m., 2008b. krüppel homolog 1 (kr-h1) mediates juvenile hormone action during metamorphosis of drosophila melanogaster. mech. dev. 125, 91-105). analysis of expression of the homologous gene (tckr-h1) in the bee ...200919013451
a conserved function of the zinc finger transcription factor sp8/9 in allometric appendage growth in the milkweed bug oncopeltus fasciatus.the genes encoding the closely related zinc finger transcription factors buttonhead (btd) and d-sp1 are expressed in the developing limb primordia of drosophila melanogaster and are required for normal growth of the legs. the d-sp1 homolog of the red flour beetle tribolium castaneum, sp8 (appropriately termed sp8/9), is also required for the proper growth of the leg segments. here we report on the isolation and functional study of the sp8/9 gene from the milkweed bug oncopeltus fasciatus. we sho ...200919760183
larval rnai in drosophila?rna interference (rnai) has become a common method of gene knockdown in many model systems. to trigger an rnai response, double-stranded rna (dsrna) must enter the cell. in some organisms such as caenorhabditis elegans, cells can take up dsrna from the extracellular environment via a cellular uptake mechanism termed systemic rnai. however, in the fruit fly drosophila melanogaster, it is widely believed that cells are unable to take up dsrna, although there is little published data to support thi ...200818663472
expression, function and regulation of brachyenteron in the short germband insect tribolium castaneum.t-domain transcription factors are involved in many different processes during embryogenesis, such as mesoderm, heart or gut development in vertebrates and in invertebrates. in insects, the following five types of t-box genes are known: brachyenteron (byn), optomotor-blind (omb), optomotor-blind-related-gene-1 (org-1), dorsocross (doc) and h15. as all these classes are present in the genome of the fruit fly drosophila melanogaster and the flour beetle tribolium, the multiplicity of the five type ...200818392878
the evolution of developmental gene networks: lessons from comparative studies on holometabolous insects.recent comparative studies have revealed significant differences in the developmental gene networks operating in three holometabolous insects: the beetle tribolium castaneum, the parasitic wasp nasonia vitripennis and the fruitfly drosophila melanogaster. i discuss these differences in relation to divergent and convergent changes in cellular embryology. i speculate on how segmentation gene networks have evolved to operate in divergent embryological contexts, and highlight the role that co-option ...200818192180
from development to biodiversity--tribolium castaneum, an insect model organism for short germband development.insect embryogenesis is best understood in the fruit fly drosophila. however, drosophila embryogenesis shows evolutionary-derived features: anterior patterning is controlled by a highly derived hox gene bicoid, the body segments form almost simultaneously and appendages develop from imaginal discs. in contrast, embryogenesis of the red flour beetle tribolium castaneum displays typical features in anterior patterning, axis and limb formation shared with most insects, other arthropods as well as w ...200818392874
diverged and conserved aspects of heart formation in a spider.heart development exhibits some striking similarities between vertebrates and arthropods, for example in both cases the heart develops as a linear tube from mesodermal cells. furthermore, the underlying molecular pathways exhibit a significant number of similarities between vertebrates and the fruit fly drosophila, suggesting a common origin of heart development in the last common ancestor of flies and vertebrates. however, there is hardly any molecular data from other animals. here we show that ...200818315809
metamorphosis and adult development of the mushroom bodies of the red flour beetle, tribolium castaneum.the insect mushroom bodies play important roles in a number of higher processing functions such as sensory integration, higher level olfactory processing, and spatial and associative learning and memory. these functions have been established through studies in a handful of tractable model systems, of which only the fruit fly drosophila melanogaster has been readily amenable to genetic manipulations. the red flour beetle tribolium castaneum has a sequenced genome and has been subject to the devel ...200818792069
network evolution of body plans.one of the major goals in evolutionary developmental biology is to understand the relationship between gene regulatory networks and the diverse morphologies and their functionalities. are the diversities solely triggered by random events, or are they inevitable outcomes of an interplay between evolving gene networks and natural selection? segmentation in arthropod embryogenesis represents a well-known example of body plan diversity. striped patterns of gene expression that lead to the future bod ...200818648662
rnai-mediated knockdown of juvenile hormone acid o-methyltransferase gene causes precocious metamorphosis in the red flour beetle tribolium castaneum.juvenile hormone controls the timing of insect metamorphosis. as a final step of juvenile hormone biosynthesis, juvenile hormone acid o-methyltransferase (jhamt) transfers the methyl group from s-adenosyl-l-methionine to the carboxyl group of farnesoic acid and juvenile hormone acid. the developmental expression profiles of jhamt mrna in the silkworm bombyx mori and the fruitfly drosophila melanogaster suggest that the suppression of jhamt transcription is critical for the induction of larval-pu ...200818435763
vasopressin-like peptide and its receptor function in an indirect diuretic signaling pathway in the red flour beetle.the insect arginine vasopressin-like (avpl) peptide is of special interest because of its potential function in the regulation of diuresis. genome sequences of the red flour beetle tribolium castaneum yielded the genes encoding avpl and avpl receptor, whereas the homologous sequences are absent in the genomes of the fruitfly, malaria mosquito, silkworm, and honeybee, although a recent genome sequence of the jewel wasp revealed an avpl sequence. the tribolium receptor for the avpl, the first such ...200818549960
tgfbeta signaling in tribolium: vertebrate-like components in a beetle.the cytokines of the tgfbeta superfamily are highly conserved in evolution and elicit a diverse range of cellular responses in all metazoa. in drosophila, the signaling pathways of the two tgfbeta subfamilies, activins and bone morphogenetic proteins (bmps), have been well studied. to address the question of whether the findings from drosophila are representative of insects in general, we analyzed the components of tgfbeta-signaling present in the genome of the beetle tribolium castaneum. we wer ...200818392881
near intron positions are reliable phylogenetic markers: an application to holometabolous insects.today, the reconstruction of the organismal evolutionary tree is based mainly on molecular sequence data. however, sequence data are sometimes insufficient to reliably resolve in particular deep branches. thus, it is highly desirable to find novel, more reliable types of phylogenetic markers that can be derived from the wealth of genomic data. here, we consider the gain of introns close to older preexisting ones. because correct splicing is impeded by very small exons, nearby pairs of introns ve ...200818296416
neuropeptides of the beetle, tenebrio molitor identified using maldi-tof mass spectrometry and deduced sequences from the tribolium castaneum genome.four neuropeptides were identified from the brain and corpora cardiaca-corpora allata (cc-ca) of the mealworm beetle tenebrio molitor using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (maldi-tof ms) and information derived from the genome of the red flour beetle, tribolium castaneum. leucomyosuppressin (a flrfamide), previously associated with cockroaches, but also subsequently identified from honey bee seen as a prominent peptide in both brain and cc-ca of t.mol ...200818201799
comparison of two acetylcholinesterase gene cdnas of the lesser mealworm, alphitobius diaperinus, in insecticide susceptible and resistant strains.two cdnas encoding different acetylcholinesterase (ache) genes (adace1 and adace2) were sequenced and analyzed from the lesser mealworm, alphitobius diaperinus. both adace1 and adace2 were highly similar (95 and 93% amino acid identity, respectively) with the ace genes of tribolium castaneum. both adace1 and adace2 have the conserved residues characteristic of ache (catalytic triad, intra-disulfide bonds, and so on). partial cdna sequences of the alphitobius ace genes were compared between two t ...200818163527
do teashirt family genes specify trunk identity? insights from the single tiptop/teashirt homolog of tribolium castaneum.the drosophila teashirt gene acts in concert with the homeotic selector (hox) genes to specify trunk (thorax and abdomen) identity. there has been speculation that this trunk-specifying function might be very ancient, dating back to the common ancestor of insects and vertebrates. however, other evidence suggests that the role of teashirt in trunk identity is not well conserved even within the insecta. to address this issue, we have analyzed the function of tc-tiotsh, the lone teashirt family mem ...200818392876
analysis of the tribolium homeotic complex: insights into mechanisms constraining insect hox clusters.the remarkable conservation of hox clusters is an accepted but little understood principle of biology. some organizational constraints have been identified for vertebrate hox clusters, but most of these are thought to be recent innovations that may not apply to other organisms. ironically, many model organisms have disrupted hox clusters and may not be well-suited for studies of structural constraints. in contrast, the red flour beetle, tribolium castaneum, which has a long history in hox gene r ...200818392875
the maternal-effect, selfish genetic element medea is associated with a composite tc1 transposon.maternal-effect dominant embryonic arrest ("medea") factors are selfish nuclear elements that combine maternal-lethal and zygotic-rescue activities to gain a postzygotic survival advantage. we show that medea(1) activity in tribolium castaneum is associated with a composite tc1 transposon inserted just downstream of the neurotransmitter reuptake symporter bloated tubules (blot), whose drosophila ortholog has both maternal and zygotic functions. the 21.5-kb insertion contains defective copies of ...200818621706
functional specialization among insect chitinase family genes revealed by rna interference.the biological functions of individual members of the large family of chitinase-like proteins from the red flour beetle, tribolium castaneum (tc), were examined by using gene-specific rnai. one chitinase, tccht5, was found to be required for pupal-adult molting only. a lethal phenotype was observed when the transcript level of tccht5 was down-regulated by injection of tccht5-specific dsrna into larvae. the larvae had metamorphosed into pupae and then to pharate adults but did not complete adult ...200818436642
analysis of repetitive dna distribution patterns in the tribolium castaneum genome.insect genomes vary widely in size, a large fraction of which is often devoted to repetitive dna. re-association kinetics indicate that up to 42% of the genome of the red flour beetle, tribolium castaneum, is repetitive. analysis of the abundance and distribution of repetitive dna in the recently sequenced genome of t. castaneum is important for understanding the structure and function of its genome.200818366801
bhlh-pas family transcription factor methoprene-tolerant plays a key role in jh action in preventing the premature development of adult structures during larval-pupal metamorphosis.the biological actions of juvenile hormones are well studied; they regulate almost all aspects of an insect's life. however, the molecular actions of these hormones are not well understood. recent studies in the red flour beetle, tribolium castaneum, demonstrated the utility of this insect as a model system to study jh action. these studies confirmed that the bhlh-pas family transcription factor, methoprene-tolerant (tcmet,) plays a key role in jh action during larval stages. in this study, we i ...200818450431
ecdysone [corrected] receptor isoforms play distinct roles in controlling molting and metamorphosis in the red flour beetle, tribolium castaneum.ecdysteroids regulate insect growth and development through a heterodimeric complex of nuclear receptors consisting of ecdysone receptor (ecr) and ultraspiracle (usp). in the red flour beetle, tribolium castaneum, two isoforms each of ecr and usp have been identified. quantitative real-time reverse-transcriptase pcr (qrt-pcr) analysis showed isoform-specific developmental expression of both ecr and usp in the epidermis and the midgut dissected from the final instar larvae and pupae. injection of ...200818583027
domain organization and phylogenetic analysis of proteins from the chitin deacetylase gene family of tribolium castaneum and three other species of insects.a bioinformatics investigation of four insect species with annotated genome sequences identified a family of genes encoding chitin deacetylase (cda)-like proteins, with five to nine members depending on the species. cdas (ec 3.5.1.41) are chitin-modifying enzymes that deacetylate the beta-1,4-linked n-acetylglucosamine homopolymer. partial deacetylation forms a heteropolysaccharide that also contains some glucosamine residues, while complete deacetylation produces the homopolymer chitosan, consi ...200818342249
evolution of the insect sox genes.the sox gene family of transcriptional regulators have essential roles during development and have been extensively studied in vertebrates. the mouse, human and fugu genomes contain at least 20 sox genes, which are subdivided into groups based on sequence similarity of the highly conserved hmg domain. in the well-studied insect drosophila melanogaster, eight sox genes have been identified and are involved in processes such as neurogenesis, dorsal-ventral patterning and segmentation.200818439299
predicted versus expressed adipokinetic hormones, and other small peptides from the corpus cardiacum-corpus allatum: a case study with beetles and moths.this mass spectrometric study confines itself to peptide masses in the range of 500-1500da. adipokinetic hormones (akhs) that are predicted from the genome of the red flour beetle, tribolium castaneum, and the silk moth, bombyx mori, are shown to exist as expressed peptides in the corpora cardiaca (cc) of the respective species as evidenced by various mass spectrometric methods. additionally, some related species were included in this study, such as the tenebrionid beetles tribolium brevicornis ...200818448200
studies on the toxicity of acetone, acrolein and carbon dioxide on stored-product insects and wheat seed.in laboratory experiments toxicity of acetone, acrolein and carbon dioxide were investigated against 4 species of stored-product insects. in all experiments, acrolein was the most toxic compound to the tested insects. in empty-space trials, estimated ld50 values of acrolein for adults of tribolium castaneum (herbst) (tenebrionidae), rhizopertha dominica (f.) (bostrychidae), sitophilus oryzae l. (curculionidae) and oryzaephilus surinamensis l. (silvanidae) were 7.26, 6.09, 6.37 and 5.65 microl l( ...200818810963
a-to-i rna editing alters less-conserved residues of highly conserved coding regions: implications for dual functions in evolution.the molecular mechanism and physiological function of recoding by a-to-i rna editing is well known, but its evolutionary significance remains a mystery. we analyzed the rna editing of the kv2 k(+) channel from different insects spanning more than 300 million years of evolution: drosophila melanogaster, culex pipiens (diptera), pulex irritans (siphonaptera), bombyx mori (lepidoptera), tribolium castaneum (coleoptera), apis mellifera (hymenoptera), pediculus humanus (phthiraptera), and myzus persi ...200818567816
a genome-wide analysis of genes and gene families involved in innate immunity of bombyx mori.a genome-wide analysis of innate immunity-related genes and gene families was conducted using the silkworm, bombyx mori. we identified orthologs for a large number of genes involved in insect immunity that have been reported from drosophila melanogaster (diptera), anopheles gambiae (diptera), apis mellifera (hymenoptera) and tribolium castaneum (coleoptera). b. mori has a unique recognition gene and antimicrobial peptide genes that are not present in the drosophila, anopheles, apis and tribolium ...200818835443
domain organization and phylogenetic analysis of the chitinase-like family of proteins in three species of insects.a bioinformatics-based investigation of three insect species with completed genome sequences has revealed that insect chitinase-like proteins (glycosylhydrolase family 18) are encoded by a rather large and diverse group of genes. we identified 16, 16 and 13 putative chitinase-like genes in the genomic databases of the red flour beetle, tribolium castaneum, the fruit fly, drosophila melanogaster, and the malaria mosquito, anopheles gambiae, respectively. chitinase-like proteins encoded by this ge ...200818342250
cloning and rnai-mediated functional characterization of malac2 of the pine sawyer, monochamus alternatus.laccase, a member of a group of proteins collectively known as multicopper oxidases, is hypothesized to play an important role in insect cuticle sclerotization by oxidizing catechols in the cuticle to their corresponding quinones, which then catalyze protein cross-linking reactions. laccase 2 has been proved as the gene required for beetle cuticle tanning through rna interference (rnai) experiments on red flour beetle tribolium castaneum. the pine sawyer beetle, monochamus alternatus (coleoptero ...200818477244
plasticity in mrna expression and localization of orthodenticle within higher diptera.orthodenticle (otd) genes are found throughout the animal kingdom and encode well-studied homeodomain transcription factors that share conserved functions in cephalization, head segmentation, brain patterning, and the differentiation of photoreceptors. otd proteins have been proposed as ancestral key players in anterior determination despite a high level of variation in gene expression at early developmental stages: otd is expressed strictly zygotically in the dipteran drosophila melanogaster, w ...200819021740
structure of the tribolium castaneum telomerase catalytic subunit tert.a common hallmark of human cancers is the overexpression of telomerase, a ribonucleoprotein complex that is responsible for maintaining the length and integrity of chromosome ends. telomere length deregulation and telomerase activation is an early, and perhaps necessary, step in cancer cell evolution. here we present the high-resolution structure of the tribolium castaneum catalytic subunit of telomerase, tert. the protein consists of three highly conserved domains, organized into a ring-like st ...200818758444
characterization of recombinant chitinase-like proteins of drosophila melanogaster and tribolium castaneum.insect chitinase (cht) family proteins are encoded by as many as 16 genes depending upon the species of interest. we have classified these proteins in three species into five different groups based on amino acid sequence similarities (zhu et al., companion paper). the functions of most of the individual proteins of this family during growth and development are largely unknown. to help determine their enzymatic properties and physiological roles, we expressed representative members belonging to t ...200818342251
transcription factor broad suppresses precocious development of adult structures during larval-pupal metamorphosis in the red flour beetle, tribolium castaneum.broad (br), a transcription factor containing the broad-tramtrack-bric-a-brac (btb) and zinc finger domains was shown to mediate 20-hydroxyecdysone (20e) action and pupal development in drosophila melanogaster and manduca sexta. we determined the key roles of br during larval-pupal metamorphosis using rna interference (rnai) in a coleopteran insect, tribolium castaneum. two major peaks of t. castaneum broad (tcbr) mrna, one peak at the end of feeding stage prior to the larvae entering the quiesc ...200818083350
cloning and identification of an oxytocin/vasopressin-like receptor and its ligand from insects.more than 20 years ago, an oxytocin/vasopressin-like peptide, clitncprgamide, was isolated from the locust, locusta migratoria [proux jp, et al. (1987) identification of an arginine vasopressin-like diuretic hormone from locusta migratoria. biochem biophys res commun 149:180-186]. however, no similar peptide could be identified in other insects, nor could its prohormone be cloned, or its physiological actions be established. here, we report that the recently sequenced genome from the red flour b ...200818316733
[occurrence of weevils (insecta: coleoptera) in pet food traded in the metropolitan region of recife, pernambuco state, brazil].with the purpose of verifying the occurrence of insect pests in dog food commercialized in the metropolitan region of recife, samples from 15 different pet stores were submitted to the extraction of insects in a berlese-tullgren apparatus. tribolium castaneum (herbst) (tenebrionidae) (55.2%) was the most frequent specie followed by oryzaephilus surinamensis (l.) (cucujidae) (31.3%), rhyzopertha dominica (fabricius) (bostrichidae) (8.9%) and lasioderma serricorne (fabricius) (anobiidae) (4.7%), a ...200819061049
pyrosequence analysis of expressed sequence tags for manduca sexta hemolymph proteins involved in immune responses.the tobacco hornworm manduca sexta is widely used as a model organism to investigate the biochemical basis of insect physiological processes but little transcriptome information is available. to get a broad view of the larval hemolymph proteins, particularly those related to immunity, we synthesized and sequenced cdna fragments from a mixture of eight total rna samples: fat body and hemocytes from larvae injected with killed bacteria, fat body, hemocytes, integument and trachea from naïve larvae ...200818510979
development of polyclonal antibodies for the detection of tribolium castaneum contamination in wheat grain.two polyclonal antibodies (pab) were developed for the detection of tribolium castaneum, which is a stored product pest of medical and economical importance. selected pab anti- t. castaneumk51 showed low cross-reactivity to other stored product arthropods but revealed high reactivity to t. destructor, t. confusum, and partly to tenebrio molitor. pta-elisa was used to detect adults, larva, and feces of t. castaneum in artificially contaminated grain samples. calibration methods were applied to de ...200818698788
cloning and phylogenetic analysis of sid-1-like genes from aphids.abstract the sid-1 (systemic interference defective) gene encodes a transmembrane protein that is an important participator in the systemic rnai pathway and has been reported in several organisms. in insects, sid-1-like genes were described from tribolium castaneum, apis mellifera, bombyx mori and schistocerca americana, but were not found in drosophila melanogaster and anopheles gambiae. to investigate whether this gene occurs in aphid species, rt-pcrs were performed using degenerate primers de ...200820302524
nuclear receptors in bombyx mori: insights into genomic structure and developmental expression.nuclear receptors (nrs) function as ligand-dependent transcription factors and are involved in diverse biological processes in different animals. the updated assembly of complete genome sequence of the bombyx mori enabled a systematic analysis of the nrs in the five holometabolous insects including b. mori, drosophila melanogaster, anopheles gambiae, apis mellifera, and tribolium castaneum. as a result, nineteen nrs were identified in the b. mori genome, each of eighteen nrs has 1:1:1:1 ortholog ...200818992339
molecular characters and expression analysis of the gene encoding eclosion hormone from the asian corn borer, ostrinia furnacalis.using rapid amplification of cdna ends (race), the cdna encoding eclosion hormone (eh) was cloned from the brain of ostrinia furnacalis. the full osf-eh cdna is 986 bp and contains a 267 bp open reading frame encoding an 88 amino acid preprohormone, which including a hydrophobic 26 amino acid signal peptide and a 62 amino acid mature peptide. the mature osf-eh shows high identity with manduca sexta (95.2%), helicoverpa armigera (91.9%) and bombyx mori (85.5%), but low identify with tribolium cas ...200817852339
a genome-wide inventory of neurohormone gpcrs in the red flour beetle tribolium castaneum.insect neurohormones (biogenic amines, neuropeptides, and protein hormones) and their g protein-coupled receptors (gpcrs) play a central role in the control of behavior, reproduction, development, feeding and many other physiological processes. the recent completion of several insect genome projects has enabled us to obtain a complete inventory of neurohormone gpcrs in these insects and, by a comparative genomics approach, to analyze the evolution of these proteins. the red flour beetle triboliu ...200818054377
the stimulation of immune defence accelerates development in the red flour beetle (tribolium castaneum).the timing of the transition between life stages is of key importance for an organism. depending on the environmental conditions, maturing earlier at a smaller size or maturing later at a larger size can be advantageous for fitness. exposure to parasites and subsequent immune activation may lead to alterations in development. immune defence often comes at a cost, such as energy drain towards immune function, which is likely to delay development. on the other hand, animals may react to an anticip ...200818713243
the snmp/cd36 gene family in diptera, hymenoptera and coleoptera: drosophila melanogaster, d. pseudoobscura, anopheles gambiae, aedes aegypti, apis mellifera, and tribolium castaneum.sensory neuron membrane proteins (snmps) are membrane bound proteins initially identified in olfactory receptor neurons of lepidoptera and are thought to play a role in odor detection; snmps belong to a larger gene family characterized by the human protein cd36. we have identified 12-14 candidate snmp/cd36 homologs from each of the genomes of drosophila melanogaster, d. pseudoobscura, anopheles gambiae and aedes aegypti (diptera), eight candidate homologs from apis mellifera (hymenoptera), and 1 ...200818342246
isolation and functional characterization of two independently-evolved fatty acid delta12-desaturase genes from insects.we report the first isolation and characterization of insect fatty acid delta12-desaturase genes, add12des from house cricket (acheta domesticus) and tcd12des from the red flour beetle (tribolium castaneum), responsible for the production of linoleic acid from oleic acid. sequence analysis shows the cricket and flour beetle delta12-desaturase genes have evolved independently from all previously known delta12-desaturases and are much more closely related to the archetypal stearoyl-coenzyme a-acti ...200819133076
infestation and population dynamics of insects on stored cassava and yams chips in benin, west africa.natural insect infestation in cassava (manihot esculenta crantz subspecies esculenta) and yam (dioscorea spp.) chips was evaluated during two consecutive storage seasons (2003-2004 and 2004-2005) in two agroecological zones of benin (northern guinea savanna [ngs] and sudan savanna [ss]). the insects infesting chips were collected, identified, and counted, they included prostephanus truncatus (horn) (coleoptera: bostrychidae), cathartus quadricollis (guerin) (coleoptera: silvanidae), carpophilus ...200819133481
effect of spinosad on adults of tribolium castaneum (col: tenebrionidae) and sitophilus oryzae (col: curculionidae).toxicity of spinosad on adults of tribolium castaneum herbst (col: tenebrionidae) and sitophilus oryzae l. (col: curculionidae) at different temperatures and exposure intervals was evaluated. a commercial formulation of spinosad, tracer was used, against 7-14-day-old adults of rice weevil and red flour beetle. bioassays were conducted at 24, 28 and 32 degrees c and 65+/-5% rh. mortality was recorded at 24, 48 and 72 h post-treatment. spinosad was diluted with water for making appropriate dosages ...200719070123
neuropeptide precursors in tribolium castaneum.neuropeptides and neurohormones are among the more diverse and functionally important classes of cell-to-cell signaling molecules involved in animal development and behavior. less is known about the hormones and neuropeptides of the red flour beetle, tribolium castaneum, than many other insects. however, the genomic information becoming available from this organism presents an opportunity to identify multiple neuropeptide and hormone genes, and hence their associated protein precursors. using si ...200717537543
a family of chemoreceptors in tribolium castaneum (tenebrionidae: coleoptera).chemoperception in invertebrates is mediated by a family of g-protein-coupled receptors (gpcr). to date nothing is known about the molecular mechanisms of chemoperception in coleopteran species. recently the genome of tribolium castaneum was sequenced for use as a model species for the coleoptera. using blast searches analyses of the t. castaneum genome with previously predicted amino acid sequences of insect chemoreceptor genes, a putative chemoreceptor family consisting of 62 gustatory recepto ...200718091992
new and emended descriptions of gregarines from flour beetles (tribolium spp. and palorus subdepressus: coleoptera, tenebrionidae).the following new gregarine taxa are described from larvae of flour beetles (coleoptera: tenebrionidae): awrygregarina billmani, n. gen., n. sp., from tribolium brevicornis; gregarina cloptoni, n. sp., from tribolium freemani; gregarina confusa, n. sp., from tribolilum confusum; and gregarina palori, n. sp., from palorus subdepressus. in addition, the description of gregarina minuta ishii, 1914, from tribolium castaneum, is emended. scanning electron micrograph studies of these species' oocysts ...200718163353
insect cryptochromes: gene duplication and loss define diverse ways to construct insect circadian clocks.cryptochrome (cry) proteins are components of the central circadian clockwork of metazoans. phylogenetic analyses show at least 2 rounds of gene duplication at the base of the metazoan radiation, as well as several losses, gave rise to 2 cryptochrome (cry) gene families in insects, a drosophila-like cry1 gene family and a vertebrate-like cry2 family. previous studies have shown that insect cry1 is photosensitive, whereas photo-insensitive cry2 functions to potently inhibit clock-relevant clock:c ...200717244599
identification and characterization of insect-specific proteins by genome data analysis.insects constitute the vast majority of known species with their importance including biodiversity, agricultural, and human health concerns. it is likely that the successful adaptation of the insecta clade depends on specific components in its proteome that give rise to specialized features. however, proteome determination is an intensive undertaking. here we present results from a computational method that uses genome analysis to characterize insect and eukaryote proteomes as an approximation c ...200717407609
concerted evolution within the drosophila dumpy gene.we have determined by reverse southern analysis and direct sequence comparisons that most of the dumpy gene has evolved in the dipteran and other insect orders by purifying selection acting on amino acid replacements. one region, however, is evolving rapidly due to unequal crossing over and/or gene conversion. this region, called "pigsfeast," or pf, encodes in d. melanogaster 30-47 repeats of 102 amino acids rich in serines, threonines, and prolines. we show that the processes of concerted evolu ...200717237523
spliceosomal small nuclear rna genes in 11 insect genomes.the removal of introns from the primary transcripts of protein-coding genes is accomplished by the spliceosome, a large macromolecular complex of which small nuclear rnas (snrnas) are crucial components. following the recent sequencing of the honeybee (apis mellifera) genome, we used various computational methods, ranging from sequence similarity search to rna secondary structure prediction, to search for putative snrna genes (including their promoters) and to examine their pattern of conservati ...200717095541
evaluation of cymbopogon martinii oil extract for control of postharvest insect deterioration in cereals and legumes.the essential oil of cymbopogon martinii was tested for its potency as a botanical pesticide to protect stored wheat (triticum aestivum) and gram (garbanzo bean, cicer arietinum) from insect infestation. the c. martinii oil was potent as a fumigant in stored gram. the oil was an effective repellent against the beetles callosobruchus chinensis and tribolium castaneum. geraniol, the major component of the oil, was not as effective as the oil itself. c. martinii oil significantly affected ovipositi ...200717265877
comparative genomic analysis of the tribolium immune system.tribolium castaneum is a species of coleoptera, the largest and most diverse order of all eukaryotes. components of the innate immune system are hardly known in this insect, which is in a key phylogenetic position to inform us about genetic innovations accompanying the evolution of holometabolous insects. we have annotated immunity-related genes and compared them with homologous molecules from other species.200717727709
effect of different ratios of wheat to corn flour in the diet on the development and isotopic composition (delta13c, delta15n) of the red flour beetle tribolium castaneum.the back-calculation of the diet is a common application of stable isotopes in animal ecology. the method is based on a predictable relation between the isotopic signature of the diet and the animal's tissues. frequently, the assumption of a constant difference in isotopic signatures (trophic shift) is made. carbon isotopic ratios of c(3) and c(4) plants differ by approximately 10 per thousand, making wheat (c(3)-plant) and corn (c(4)-plant) ideal materials for isotopic studies in nutritional ec ...200717558751
rna editing and alternative splicing of the insect nachr subunit alpha6 transcript: evolutionary conservation, divergence and regulation.rna editing and alternative splicing play an important role in expanding protein diversity and this is well illustrated in studies of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nachrs).200717597521
enhanced efficacy of beauveria bassiana for red flour beetle with reduced moisture.red flour beetle, tribolium castaneum (herbst), is a major pest of stored and processed grains that is tolerant of beauveria bassiana (balsamo) vuillemin under most conditions. laboratory assays demonstrated that desiccating conditions improved the efficacy of the fungus. for t. castaneum larvae exposed to b. bassiana at different vapor pressure deficits (vpds), the lc50 potency ratios were 2.3 for 2.42 kpa and 3.9 for 3.31 kpa compared with 1.06 kpa. there were significant effects of moisture o ...200717849853
the cys-loop ligand-gated ion channel gene superfamily of the red flour beetle, tribolium castaneum.members of the cys-loop ligand-gated ion channel (cys-loop lgic) superfamily mediate chemical neurotransmission and are studied extensively as potential targets of drugs used to treat neurological disorders such as alzheimer's disease. insect cys-loop lgics are also of interest as they are targets of highly successful insecticides. the red flour beetle, tribolium castaneum, is a major pest of stored agricultural products and is also an important model organism for studying development.200717880682
molecular cloning, phylogeny and localization of agnha1: the first na+/h+ antiporter (nha) from a metazoan, anopheles gambiae.we have cloned a cdna encoding a new ion transporter from the alimentary canal of larval african malaria mosquito, anopheles gambiae giles sensu stricto. phylogenetic analysis revealed that the corresponding gene is in a group that has been designated nha, and which includes (na+ or k+)/h+ antiporters; so the novel transporter is called agnha1. the annotation of current insect genomes shows that both agnha1 and a close relative, agnha2, belong to the cation proton antiporter 2 (cpa2) subfamily a ...200717951426
genomics, transcriptomics, and peptidomics of neuropeptides and protein hormones in the red flour beetle tribolium castaneum.neuropeptides and protein hormones are ancient molecules that mediate cell-to-cell communication. the whole genome sequence from the red flour beetle tribolium castaneum, along with those from other insect species, provides an opportunity to study the evolution of the genes encoding neuropeptide and protein hormones. we identified 41 of these genes in the tribolium genome by using a combination of bioinformatic and peptidomic approaches. these genes encode >80 mature neuropeptides and protein ho ...200718025266
large diversity of the piggybac-like elements in the genome of tribolium castaneum.the piggybac transposable element (te), originally discovered in the cabbage looper, trichoplusia ni, has been widely used in insect transgenesis including the red flour beetle tribolium castaneum. we surveyed piggybac-like (ple) sequences in the genome of t. castaneum by homology searches using as queries the diverse ple sequences that have been described previously. the search yielded a total of 32 piggybac-like elements (tcples) which were classified into 14 distinct groups. most of the tcple ...200718342253
juvenile hormone resistance gene methoprene-tolerant controls entry into metamorphosis in the beetle tribolium castaneum.besides being a spectacular developmental process, metamorphosis is key to insect success. entry into metamorphosis is controlled by juvenile hormone (jh). in larvae, jh prevents pupal and adult morphogenesis, thus keeping the insect in its immature state. how jh signals to preclude metamorphosis is poorly understood, and a jh receptor remains unknown. one candidate for the jh receptor role is the methoprene-tolerant (met) per-arnt-sim (pas) domain protein [also called resistance to jh, rst (1)j ...200717537916
analysis of transcriptome data in the red flour beetle, tribolium castaneum.the whole genome sequence of tribolium castaneum, a worldwide coleopteran pest of stored products, has recently been determined. in order to facilitate accurate annotation and detailed functional analysis of this genome, we have compiled and analyzed all available expressed sequence tag (est) data. the raw data consist of 61,228 ests, including 10,704 obtained from ncbi and an additional 50,524 derived from 32,544 clones generated in our laboratories. these sequences were amassed from cdna libra ...200718342244
genomic and gene regulatory signatures of cryptozoic adaptation: loss of blue sensitive photoreceptors through expansion of long wavelength-opsin expression in the red flour beetle tribolium castaneum.recent genome sequence analysis in the red flour beetle tribolium castaneum indicated that this highly crepuscular animal encodes only two single opsin paralogs: a uv-opsin and a long wavelength (lw)-opsin; however, these animals do not encode a blue (b)-opsin as most other insects. here, we studied the spatial regulation of the tribolium single lw- and uv-opsin gene paralogs in comparison to that of the five opsin paralogs in the retina of drosophila melanogaster.200718154648
organization and regulation of sex-specific thioredoxin encoding genes in the genus drosophila.thioredoxins are small thiol proteins that have a conserved active site sequence, wcgpc, and reduce disulfide bonds in various proteins using the two active site cysteines, a reaction that oxidizes thioredoxin and renders it inactive. thioredoxin reductase returns thioredoxin to its reduced, active form in a reaction that converts nadph to nadp(+). the biological functions of thioredoxins vary widely; they have roles in oxidative stress protection, act as electron donors for ribonucleotide reduc ...200717701050
maxillopedia is the tribolium ortholog of proboscipedia.null mutations in the drosophila melanogaster homeotic gene proboscipedia (pb) cause transformation of the adult labial palps to legs. the similar phenotype produced by mutations in the tribolium castaneum homeotic complex (homc) gene maxillopedia (mxp) has led to suggestions that the two genes may be orthologous. we have cloned the tribolium ortholog of pb, which predicts a protein with a homeodomain identical to that of drosophila pb. the two proteins also share several additional regions of i ...200711252570
the roles of wingless and decapentaplegic in axis and appendage development in the red flour beetle, tribolium castaneum.axis patterning and appendage development have been well studied in drosophila melanogaster, a species in which both limb and segment morphogenesis are derived. in drosophila, positional information from genes important in anteroposterior and dorsoventral axis formation, including wingless (wg) and decapentaplegic (dpp), is required for allocating and patterning the appendage primordia. we used rna interference to characterize the functions of wg and dpp in the red flour beetle, tribolium castan ...200616616738
wasps, beetles and the beginning of the ends.recent papers investigating the genes regulating early embryogenesis in the wasp nasonia vitripennis and the beetle tribolium castaneum have provided us with important clues as to how early development is controlled in insects other than higher dipterans such as drosophila melanogaster. the results of these studies demonstrate that in insects that do not have bicoid, anterior patterning is regulated by a combination of maternal orthodenticle and hunchback. furthermore, during the evolution of lo ...200616850399
identification and characterization of the telomerase reverse transcriptase of bombyx mori (silkworm) and tribolium castaneum (flour beetle).chromosomal ends of most eukaryotes are composed of simple telomeric repeats. arthropod telomeres are generally constituted by ttagg pentanucleotide repeats; however, some insect species including drosophila melanogaster do not have telomeric repeats. in contrast, the domestic silkworm bombyx mori contains ttagg-type telomeric repeats, but the telomerase activity has not been detected in all investigated tissues. to search for a cause of unusual telomere structure in insects, we here identified ...200616793225
canonical ttagg-repeat telomeres and telomerase in the honey bee, apis mellifera.the draft assembly of the honey bee apis mellifera genome sequence reveals that the 17 centromeric-distal telomeres are of a simple, shared, and canonical structure, with 3-4 kb of a unique subtelomeric sequence, followed by several kilobases of ttagg or variant telomeric repeats. this simple subtelomeric structure differs from the centromeric-proximal telomeres on the short arms of the 15 acrocentric chromosomes, which are apparently composed primarily of the 176-bp alui tandem repeat. this dic ...200617065609
genome-wide acceleration of protein evolution in flies (diptera).the rate of molecular evolution varies widely between proteins, both within and among lineages. to what extent is this variation influenced by genome-wide, lineage-specific effects? to answer this question, we assess the rate variation between insect lineages for a large number of orthologous genes.200616436210
molecular identification of the first sifamide receptor.sifamide is the short name and also the c terminus of the drosophila neuropeptide ayrkppfngsifamide. sifamide has been isolated or predicted from various insects and crustaceans, and appears to be extremely well conserved among these arthropods. however, the function of this neuropeptide is still enigmatic. here, we have identified the drosophila gene (cg10823) coding for the sifamide receptor. when expressed in chinese hamster ovary cells, the receptor is only activated by drosophila sifamide ( ...200616378592
purification, crystallization and preliminary x-ray crystallographic analysis of rice bifunctional alpha-amylase/subtilisin inhibitor from oryza sativa.rice bifunctional alpha-amylase/subtilisin inhibitor (rasi) can inhibit both alpha-amylase from larvae of the red flour beetle (tribolium castaneum) and subtilisin from bacillus subtilis. the synthesis of rasi is up-regulated during the late milky stage in developing seeds. the 8.9 kda molecular-weight rasi from rice has been crystallized using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. according to 1.81 angstroms resolution x-ray diffraction data from rice rasi crystals, the crystal belongs to s ...200616880545
smtrc1, a novel schistosoma mansoni dna transposon, discloses new families of animal and fungi transposons belonging to the cacta superfamily.the cacta (also called en/spm) superfamily of dna-only transposons contain the core sequence cacta in their terminal inverted repeats (tirs) and so far have only been described in plants. large transcriptome and genome sequence data have recently become publicly available for schistosoma mansoni, a digenetic blood fluke that is a major causative agent of schistosomiasis in humans, and have provided a comprehensive repository for the discovery of novel genes and repetitive elements. despite the e ...200617090310
[biological efficacy and persistence of biphenthrin sprayed on maize at different grain temperatures].the objective of this work was to evaluate the immediate and latent effects of the grain temperature, during the spraying process, on the persistence and biological efficacy of the biphenthrin insecticide against sitophilus zeamais motschulsky (coleoptera: curculionidae) and tribolium castaneum (herbst) (coleoptera: tenebrionidae). for such, biphenthrin was sprayed on the grain at the temperatures: 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 degrees c. to access the persistence of biphenthrin, insecticide residue ana ...200617348140
phylogeny of the sex-determining gene sex-lethal in insects.the sex-lethal (sxl) protein belongs to the family of rna-binding proteins and is involved in the regulation of pre-mrna splicing. sxl has undergone an obvious change of function during the evolution of the insect clade. the gene has acquired a pivotal role in the sex-determining pathway of drosophila, although it does not act as a sex determiner in non-drosophilids. we collected sxl sequences of insect species ranging from the pea aphid (acyrtho siphom pisum) to drosophila melanogaster by searc ...200616604108
expression of a synthetic gene encoding a tribolium castaneum carboxylesterase in pichia pastoris.this is the first report of an insect esterase efficiently expressed in the methylotrophic yeast pichia pastoris (so far insect esterases have been produced only in the baculovirus system). having isolated a tribolium castaneum carboxylesterase cdna (tce), we were initially unable to express it in escherichia coli or p. pastoris despite significant transcription levels. as codon usage bias is different in t. castaneum and p. pastoris, we assumed this was a possible explanation for the translatio ...200515946860
costly resistance to parasitism: evidence from simultaneous quantitative trait loci mapping for resistance and fitness in tribolium castaneum.information on the molecular basis of resistance and the evolution of resistance is crucial to an understanding of the appearance, spread, and distribution of resistance genes and of the mechanisms of host adaptation in natural populations. one potential important genetic constraint for the evolution of resistance is fitness cost associated with resistance. to determine whether host resistance to parasite infection is associated with fitness costs, we conducted simultaneous quantitative trait lo ...200515687267
carbonic anhydrase metabolism is a key factor in the toxicity of co2 and cos but not cs2 toward the flour beetle tribolium castaneum [coleoptera: tenebrionidae].the analogues carbon dioxide (co(2)), carbonyl sulfide (cos) and carbon disulfide (cs(2)) have been useful as substrate probes for enzyme activities. here we explored the affinity of the enzyme carbonic anhydrase for its natural substrate co(2), as well as cos and cs(2) (1) by in vitro kinetic metabolism studies using pure enzyme and (2) through mortality bioassay of insects exposed to toxic levels of each of the gases during carbonic anhydrase inhibition. hydrolysis of cos to form hydrogen sulf ...200515792633
efficacy of bauveria bassiana for red flour beetle when applied with plant essential oils or in mineral oil and organosilicone carriers.the carriers mineral oil and silwet l-77 and the botanical insecticides neemix 4.5 and hexacide were evaluated for their impacts on the efficacy of beauveria bassiana (balsamo) vuillemin conidia against red flour beetle, tribolium castaneum (herbst), larvae. the dosages of liquid treatments were quantified by both conidia concentration in the spray volume and conidia deposition on the target surface. the latter approach allowed comparison with dry, unformulated conidia. the median lethal concent ...200516022293
laccase 2 is the phenoloxidase gene required for beetle cuticle tanning.cuticle tanning (or sclerotization and pigmentation) in invertebrates involves the oxidative conjugation of proteins, which renders them insoluble and hardens and darkens the color of the exoskeleton. two kinds of phenoloxidases, laccase and tyrosinase, have been proposed to participate in tanning, but proof of the true identity of the enzyme(s) responsible for this process has been elusive. we report the cloning of cdnas for laccases and tyrosinases from the red flour beetle, tribolium castaneu ...200516076951
dynamics of extinction in coupled populations of the flour beetle tribolium castaneum.in this study we analyzed the effect of migration on the persistence time of coupled local populations of tribolium in different environments. four treatments were set up to compare different levels of environmental heterogeneity. we established high, low, moderate, and no heterogeneity. these levels were estimated by the different amounts of food offered to each population. to investigate how risk spreading works, a stochastic model for two subpopulations was employed. the high heterogeneity tr ...200516097729
ultrabithorax is required for membranous wing identity in the beetle tribolium castaneum.the two pairs of wings that are characteristic of ancestral pterygotes (winged insects) have often undergone evolutionary modification. in the fruitfly, drosophila melanogaster, differences between the membranous forewings and the modified hindwings (halteres) depend on the hox gene ultrabithorax (ubx). the drosophila forewings develop without hox input, while ubx represses genes that are important for wing development, promoting haltere identity. however, the idea that hox input is important to ...200515703749
tribolium castaneum twist: gastrulation and mesoderm formation in a short-germ beetle.mesoderm formation has been extensively analyzed in the long-germ insect drosophila melanogaster. in drosophila, both the invagination and specification of the mesoderm is controlled by twist. here we present a detailed description of mesoderm formation and twist regulation for the short-germ beetle tribolium castaneum. in contrast to drosophila, (1) the presumptive mesodermal cells of tribolium are part of a mitotic domain and divide prior to ventral furrow formation, (2) ventral furrow formati ...200515645317
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